Breadcrumbs

Sudden cardiac arrest is the most common cause of death in adults in Western society today.

Cardiac arrest is the end result of disease that gradually wrecks havoc on the blood vessels in the heart in the form of inflammation causing plaques and subsequent narrowing and ultimately closure of important nutrient providing highways that supply the heart with the necessary substances for life.

After a cardiac arrest "time is (heart) muscle" and treatment must be instituted immediately. A temporizing measure is ACDs (defibrillators) that attempt to shock the heart back into a perfusing rhythm - a rhythm that allows the heart to move blood around the body. But ultimately, if emergency intervention is not immediately initiated (and many times, even if it is) death is inevitable.

This study shows that out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were more common in poor neighborhoods. The reason for this is multi-faceted, but the "previous studies have shown that uninsured people in the US under 65 are more likely to have undiagnosed cardiovascular disease and are less likely to seek out professional help to manage their risk factors than people with health insurance, and this underdiagnosis and undertreatment could be increasing the risk of sudden cardiac arrest."

BUT it's more than simply being uninsured because in Canada 'everyone' is insured and "despite universal healthcare in Canada, people in poorer areas have a higher burden of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and have a lower chance of undergoing cardiac catheterization after an acute MI or getting an ICD after being admitted to the hospital with heart failure."

The article goes on to say: this "not surprising in light of many studies showing that lower socioeconomic status is associated with worse health outcomes for almost every type of disease, including cancer."

So what to make of this?

In simplest terms, poor people (regardless of insurance status or access to healthcare) are underdiagnosed, undertreated, not followed very well, and these factors contribute to premature death.

Now WHY are these poor people experiencing these disparities? Is it possible that many more of these poor people happen to be brown? If so, this study can be extrapolated to conclude: people of color are more likely than their white counterparts to die of illness and disease common to their culture.

These chemicals are NO GOOD. BPA is ubiquitous! It's on money (dollar bills), it's in canned foods, lines soda pop cans, in plastic...and the list goes on! And parabens are preservatives commonly used in cosmetics. Just read the label of your favorite lotion on store shelves. They are in everything!

Point: Try to decrease your exposure to these chemicals by opting for more organic and BPA/paraben-free cosmetics, don't heat your food in plastic containers, use styroform "dishes" and avoid drinking canned soda or eating canned foods.

If a mother/daughter *wants* to get the HPV vaccine (after informed consent), that's fine. But to *mandate* injections for STDs? Really? Most of us have never, and will never, have an STD. AND, of all the STDs to get...at least HPV has a cure (even if that means removing the cervix/uterus after close surveillance over years). HPV doesn't prevent pregnancy/delivery. And, EVEN IF a woman was to get HPV...it takes years for the development of cancer. AND long before that...a pap smear would allow for early diagnosis and treatment.

Having sex at 11, 12, 13? The last thing we should be concerned about is HPV. HIV, Hep B, Hep C, syphilis all lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia can lead to infertility. Not to mention to social/psychological implications of having sex at these ages...

My daughters will NOT be getting this vaccine. Teaching them to value themselves, respect their bodies, keep their legs closed and their panties up, is a much better technique overall to prevent ALL STDs, and unwanted pregnancy.

Beware! If you are pregnant, or trying to become pregnant, avoid NSAIDS (Motrin, Aleve, ibuprofen, naproxen, and I'd even add aspirin unless you're taking it for other issues). According to this study published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association